The invention relates to a rail element for the reception of article supports, with a metallic profile strip having a cross section with at least two legs defining a right angle, one of the legs having openings for inserting hook-formed brackets of article supports which are provided at a mutual distance in the main direction of extension of the rail element in an aligned manner according to a modular dimension allowing a height-adjustable arrangement of the article support. Such rail elements or rail sections serve the purpose of accommodating article supports equipped with brackets, having surfaces or the like for storing or hanging etc. articles on them. This kind of rail element enables the construction of stands, shelfs and similar constructions which are suitable for the reception and presentation of articles.
A rail element in the form of a profile strip of the said kind is known from DE-GM 88 02 770. The profile strip consists of a folded metallic strip and has a web and two legs protruding from it thus forming as a whole a U-shaped cross section. The web contains openings in the form of slots which essentially follow a vertical direction, i.e. along the main direction of extension of the profile strip, having a substantially greater extension in this direction than across it. These slot-formed openings are arranged at a certain modular dimension enabling the bracketed article supports to be inserted at height-adjustable steps. Furthermore, the web contains piercings through which anchoring bolts can be screwed into dowel holes which are located in the wall. The known rail element is formed and determined solely for anchoring to a wall or any other vertical surface. It is aligned in such a way that the two free ends of the legs are adjacent to the wall.
This way, a hollow space is enclosed in the rail element into which hook-formed ends of a bracketed article support may be inserted. Usually the bracket-like article support is formed in such a way that at each inserting spot two hook-formed catches grip into two adjacent openings and interlock in them. It is obvious that in this construction two rail elements or two profile strips must be aligned at a corresponding distance vertically to each other on a wall in order for, e.g. article supports, to be inserted into both rail elements so that the placing surface extends in a horizontal manner. As can be seen, these rails and article supports enable a shelf-like wall construction suitable to hold e.g. books. The profile strip, which essentially forms the rail element, has been kept small in dimension, i.e. the web and the two legs are of a small width as determined by the slot-like opening and the room required for interlocking. Given that the bracket-like article supports have a plate thickness of 1 mm or 3 mm at the most at the inserting part, the width of the slot-like opening is only of a size big enough for one or--if required--two bracket-like article supports to be inserted into this opening. Furthermore, the known rail element is not very appealing in terms of decoration but is kept as small and unconspicuous as possible. Because its application is confined solely to a wall fixture which may take place on both sides, center room stands or other freely standing units cannot be constructed with it.
In order to correct this disadvantage, but also for aesthetic reasons, it is already known to connect slotted rail elements consisting of only one web with slot-formed openings with two columns in such a way as to create a portative unit. The columns may be formed by wooden or metallic profile strips requiring an anchoring between the columns and the slotted rail which is usually included. This enables for shelfs and other stand units to be created which are moved off the wall or erected in the space, the bracketed article support being insertable into the slotted rail again. Such an application is however comparatively demanding, because besides the slotted rails the columns supplying the sturdiness must be produced separately and the parts have to be connected. It is precisely this connection which in some cases gives rise to difficulties, at least however, to additional work to be carried out. In many cases welded or screwed connections cannot be accepted for decorative reasons.